Cycle route through the Hunze valley
Veendam, Wolfsbarge, Annerveen
This cycling tour follows the Hunze river, which begins in Drenthe and flows towards Groningen. In the past, the Hunze was largely straightened to make the surrounding land suitable for agriculture. In recent years, a lot of work has been done to give the river back its natural, winding course. This has transformed the landscape into a beautiful marshland area that benefits many animals. One special example is the beaver, which has re-established itself here. With a bit of luck, you may spot traces of these rodents along the route, such as gnawed-through tree trunks or dams in the water. You will cycle through the Hunze valley, a vast stream valley on the eastern side of the Hondsrug ridge. This landscape was formed during the ice age, when meltwater carved out a wide valley. This was once a large marsh area, but in the last century the river was straightened and the land drained for agriculture. Since 1995, nature organisations have been working on restoration projects, which have allowed more and more wetlands to return. This has led to a wide variety of plants and animals. During your trip you will pass open water, grasslands and marshes, where you can see countless birds, such as herons, spoonbills and maybe even an osprey. A special part of this landscape is the Duunsche Landen, an area of river dunes that was formed during the last ice age. Here, the harsh polar wind blew sand into high dunes. One of the most striking features is the blowout bowl, a deep pit created by the wind blowing the sand out of the area. With a diameter of over a kilometre, this is the largest blowout basin in Drenthe, and has therefore been designated a geological monument. Further on you will come to Leinwijk, a nature reserve where the Kikkoman windmill pumps water from the Zuidlaarder Lake to a marsh. This marsh helps purify the water in a natural way and attracts many special plants and animals. While cycling here, you can enjoy the panoramic landscape and the rich nature of this unique stream valley.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Wolfsbargepad , 9606 PJ Midden-Groningen | 59.5 KM | |
|
From
25
to
26
|
3073 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head east | 6 M | ||
| Continue onto Leinwijckpad | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Wolfsbarge | 33 M | ||
| Turn left onto Leinwijckpad | 956 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nieuwe Compagnie | 52 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuwe Compagniepad | 545 M | ||
| You are now at section 26 | 0 M | ||
|
From
26
to
95
|
866 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Sluisweg | 847 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zuidlaarderweg (N962) | 19 M | ||
| You are now at section 95 | 0 M | ||
|
From
95
to
4
|
4294 M | 4.3 KM | |
| Head southeast | 652 M | ||
| Turn left | 676 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kalkwijk | 287 M | ||
| Turn right onto Boompjespad | 1.3 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 11 M | ||
| Turn left | 13 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nieuweweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
|
From
4
to
5
|
1363 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Nieuweweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn right | 11 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
|
From
5
to
57
|
1603 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head east on Nieuweweg | 731 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Nieuweweg | 872 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
|
From
57
to
56
|
814 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Het Loeg | 65 M | ||
| Continue slightly left onto Kerkstraat | 708 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oosterweg | 41 M | ||
| You are now at section 56 | 0 M | ||
|
From
56
to
55
|
3215 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head south on Oude Verlaat | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Turn right | 319 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dominee Sannesstraat | 601 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Brink | 247 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Ubbo Wilkensstraat | 34 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Ubbo Wilkensstraat | 233 M | ||
| Turn right onto Verlengde van Beresteijnstraat | 41 M | ||
| Turn left onto Museumplein | 129 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Museumplein | 28 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Museumplein | 78 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
|
From
55
to
97
|
2767 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head west on Kerkstraat | 178 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Prins Hendrikplein | 170 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sorghvlietlaan | 436 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 557 M | ||
| Turn right | 20 M | ||
| Turn left onto Briklaan | 549 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Flora | 245 M | ||
| Turn left | 612 M | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
|
From
97
to
52
|
2212 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head west | 127 M | ||
| Turn right | 167 M | ||
| Turn right | 26 M | ||
| Turn right | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right | 229 M | ||
| Turn left | 78 M | ||
| Turn right | 8 M | ||
| Turn right | 149 M | ||
| Turn left | 64 M | ||
| Turn right | 115 M | ||
| Turn right | 177 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
|
From
52
to
53
|
769 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northwest | 69 M | ||
| Keep left at the fork | 700 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
|
From
53
to
72
|
1856 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head west | 12 M | ||
| Turn left | 749 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Borgercompagnie | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
|
From
72
to
33
|
1493 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head south on Borgercompagnie | 982 M | ||
| Continue straight | 410 M | ||
| Turn right | 15 M | ||
| Turn left | 35 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Semsstraat | 51 M | ||
| You are now at section 33 | 0 M | ||
|
From
33
to
34
|
1904 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head south on Semsstraat | 53 M | ||
| Turn right onto Menweg | 111 M | ||
| Turn right onto Polderweg | 12 M | ||
| Turn left onto Menweg | 1.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
15
|
3962 M | 4 KM | |
| Head southeast on Dorpsstraat | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Tjassenswijk | 1.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 15 | 0 M | ||
|
From
15
to
13
|
229 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head southwest on Bonnerveen | 229 M | ||
| You are now at section 13 | 0 M | ||
|
From
13
to
4
|
4592 M | 4.6 KM | |
| Head east on Boerendijk | 450 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schipperspad | 1.9 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Bonnerveen | 234 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Torenveen | 189 M | ||
| Turn right | 831 M | ||
| Continue onto Bosland | 549 M | ||
| Turn right onto Veenhoverdijk | 335 M | ||
| Turn right onto Koestroomdijk | 129 M | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
|
From
4
to
14
|
2848 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head north on Koestroomdijk | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Bonnerdijk | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Herenweg Zuid | 627 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
26
|
3684 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head west on de Lenten | 417 M | ||
| Turn right onto Noordveensedijk | 172 M | ||
| Turn left onto Madenweg | 659 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Madenweg | 434 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zandvoort | 90 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Zandvoort | 982 M | ||
| Turn left onto Dalweg | 443 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Dalweg | 265 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Dalweg | 222 M | ||
| You are now at section 26 | 0 M | ||
|
From
26
to
47
|
961 M | 1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Oudedijk | 961 M | ||
| You are now at section 47 | 0 M | ||
|
From
47
to
32
|
4328 M | 4.3 KM | |
| Head northwest | 4.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
31
|
1184 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northeast | 187 M | ||
| Continue onto Fiepsbrug | 25 M | ||
| Continue straight | 5 M | ||
| Turn left | 377 M | ||
| Turn right | 590 M | ||
| You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
|
From
31
to
30
|
1394 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Hunzeweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
96
|
4468 M | 4.5 KM | |
| Head north on Molenwijk | 25 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Veenweg | 210 M | ||
| Turn left onto Broekdijk | 2.8 KM | ||
| Turn left onto De Knijpe | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 96 | 0 M | ||
|
From
96
to
53
|
1797 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head north on De Dijk | 725 M | ||
| Continue straight | 75 M | ||
| Continue onto De Dijk | 988 M | ||
| Continue straight | 9 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
|
From
53
to
52
|
1692 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head northeast on Hunzeweg | 230 M | ||
| Continue straight | 28 M | ||
| Turn left onto De Groeve | 202 M | ||
| Turn left | 36 M | ||
| Turn right | 583 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Kruierij | 597 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hunzeweg | 16 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
|
From
52
to
25
|
2179 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Hunzeweg | 530 M | ||
| Continue straight | 588 M | ||
| Turn left | 136 M | ||
| Turn right | 897 M | ||
| Turn left | 28 M | ||
| You are now at section 25 | 0 M |